Second management period

The second management period of the Urban Forest Management Plan spans from 2023 to 2026. Projects and initiatives during the second management period are focused on themes of tree planting, tree maintenance, and community outreach and engagement. A work plan for the second management period is included in the Urban Forest Management Plan Update Report.

Some elements of the work being done are detailed below. 

The feature project of the second management period will be a Tree Planting Strategy for Ottawa. This strategy will continue to promote a tree positive culture and will help move the City towards the Official Plan goal of 40 per cent urban tree canopy cover by shifting the approach to tree planting from reactive to proactive.
 
The City’s Tree Planting Strategy will be action-based and equity-focused plan that will guide tree planting across the City’s urban area to grow Ottawa’s urban forest. This strategy will:

• Evaluate existing planting programs.
• Develop new planting programs to deliver tree planting in priority areas and beyond.
• Create a tool to prioritize tree planting in areas of the city that need trees the most.
• Assess funding opportunities. 
• Create planting guidelines and best practices.
• Integrate tree planting considerations into City initiatives across the corporation.

Equitable distribution of tree canopy and plantings will be a guiding principle throughout the strategy’s implementation. This approach will address neighbourhood-level gaps through analysis of canopy cover, health, and socio-economic data when selecting locations for new plantings. The strategy will be rolled out incrementally to ensure trees get planted in the ground quickly, in areas where they are needed the most.

For more details on the City’s current tree planting programs, please check the Tree Planting Program page. 

The City of Ottawa currently aims to implement a seven-year inspection and pruning cycle for all City trees. During the second management period, the staff will be evaluating this management cycle to ensure that the City is in line with best management practices, while also working efficiently to meet the urban forests changing needs.

Staff will also be developing and piloting a structural tree pruning program that focuses on directing and strengthening tree growth and structure. 

Using an asset management approach for trees and forests allows staff to evaluate the current value of the urban forest, and helps staff to make informed decisions about its management. During the second management period, the City will be working on multiple recommendations related to asset management:

• The completion of the City-owned park tree inventory and development of a methodology to inventory more densely forested areas.
• Ongoing updates to the City’s tree inventory for new plantings.
• The second assessment and analysis of the City’s canopy cover. The study will investigate how tree canopy cover has changed since the baseline assessment in the Fall of 2019.
• Incorporation of the urban forest resources into the City’s asset management planning. This type of project is the first of its kind in Ottawa.
• The creation of Wildland Fire Hazard Mapping as per provincial planning requirements.
• A valuation of Ottawa’s urban forest, including ecosystem services and benefits. This work is inspired by similar projects completed by other municipalities. 
   

Outreach and engagement with the citizens of Ottawa is priority during the second management period. The community will benefit from new and improved communication, expanded outreach initiatives, enhanced stewardship programs, and increased educational opportunities that highlights the importance of trees and forests for a healthy and sustainable community. Implementing impactful outreach and engagement activities will be prioritized to ensure wider involvement with communities across Ottawa.
 

Internal engagement with City staff and improved policy implementation was an area with great progress during the first management period and was a key to promoting a tree positive culture at the City. To keep up the positive momentum, Forestry staff will continue to promote tree awareness and collaborate internally with City staff from a variety of departments. This cross-departmental collaboration will include:

• Continuing to work with Planning Services staff with the implementation of the City’s tree policies in the Official Plan.
• Ongoing work to monitor and enforce the Tree Conservation By-law, and updating the By-law to adhere to provincial development changes. 
• Continuing to work with Zoning staff on promoting a “landscape first” and other tree-friendly approaches to zoning. 
• Work with Infrastructure Services staff on integrating Forestry staff into the process for City infrastructure projects.
• Work with Climate Change and Resiliency staff on integrating tree and urban forest solutions into the Climate Change and Resiliency Strategy. 

With a complete review of the tree by-laws and creation of the new Tree Protection By-law during the first management period, staff will be focused on implementation and enforcement of the new Tree Protection By-law during the second management period. This includes:

• amendments to the by-law when necessary
• enforcement improvements
• training and education for staff, external partners, and stakeholders

Later in the second management period, staff will begin to assess the need for another review of the Tree Protection By-law during the next management period.